[[Image:Tolkien 1916.jpg|right|thumb|Tolkien in 1916, wearing his British Army uniform. From Humphrey Carpenter's ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography|Biography]]''.]]

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[[File:Tolkien 1916.jpg|right|thumb|Tolkien in 1916, wearing his British Army uniform.]]

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<center>{{quote|Who battled have with bloody hands<br>Through evil times in barren lands,<br>To whom the voice of guns<br>Speaks and no longer stuns...|[[Geoffrey Bache Smith]], ''[[A Spring Harvest]]''}}</center>

<center>{{quote|Who battled have with bloody hands<br>Through evil times in barren lands,<br>To whom the voice of guns<br>Speaks and no longer stuns...|[[Geoffrey Bache Smith]], ''[[A Spring Harvest]]''}}</center>

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[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] served in the British Army during '''World War I''' (or the "'''Great War'''"), most notably in the bloody [[Battle of the Somme]]. The earliest works of the [[Legendarium]]&mdash;collected in ''[[The Book of Lost Tales Part 1|The Book of Lost Tales]]''&mdash;were began during the conflict. The extent to which the war and Tolkien's experience of it are reflected in his written work is a matter of much interest in Tolkien scholarship.

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[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] served in the British Army during '''World War I''' (or the "'''Great War'''"), most notably in the bloody [[Battle of the Somme]]. The earliest works of the [[Legendarium]]&mdash;collected in ''[[The Book of Lost Tales Part One]]''&mdash;were began during the conflict. The extent to which the war and Tolkien's experience of it are reflected in his written work is a matter of much interest in Tolkien scholarship.

==Participants==

==Participants==

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:'''See also ''[[wikipedia:Timeline_of_World_War_I|Timeline of World War I]]'' at Wikipedia'''

:'''See also ''[[wikipedia:Timeline_of_World_War_I|Timeline of World War I]]'' at Wikipedia'''

* '''[[1 July|July 1]]''' - One of the bloodiest battles in recent history, the [[Battle of the Somme]], starts. Robert Gilson is one of the first of the 360,000 British casualties when he is hit by a shell at La Boiselle.<ref name="Garth"/>

* '''[[1 July|July 1]]''' - One of the bloodiest battles in recent history, the [[Battle of the Somme]], starts. Robert Gilson is one of the first of the 360,000 British casualties when he is hit by a shell at La Boiselle.<ref name="Garth"/>

* '''[[14 July|July 14]]''' - Tolkien's C-company is sent into action at the Somme front. This is Tolkien's first 5-day front-line duty.<ref name="Gilbert">Martin Gilbert, ''[http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=716&pageid=23&pagename=Arts What Tolkien Taught Me about the Battle of the Somme]''</ref>

* '''[[14 July|July 14]]''' - Tolkien's C-company is sent into action at the Somme front. This is Tolkien's first 5-day front-line duty.<ref name="Gilbert">Martin Gilbert, ''[http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=716&pageid=23&pagename=Arts What Tolkien Taught Me about the Battle of the Somme]''</ref>

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* '''[[July 22]]''' - [[Ralph Payton|Ralph "the Baby" Payton]], one of the T.C.B.S., is killed in the Battle of the Somme. His body is never identified.<ref name="Garth"/>

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* '''[[22 July|July 22]]''' - [[Ralph Payton|Ralph "the Baby" Payton]], one of the T.C.B.S., is killed in the Battle of the Somme. His body is never identified.<ref name="Garth"/>

* '''[[October 26]]''' - While in reserve, Tolkien's battalion is inspected by [[wikipedia:Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig|Sir Doulgas Haig]], the British commander at the Battle of the Somme.<ref name="Garth"/>

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* '''[[26 October|October 26]]''' - While in reserve, Tolkien's battalion is inspected by [[wikipedia:Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig|Sir Doulgas Haig]], the British commander at the Battle of the Somme.<ref name="Garth"/>

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* '''[[October 27]]''' – J.R.R. Tolkien is struck by trench fever, which ends his contribution to the war after just 5 months.<ref name="Garth"/>

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* '''[[27 October|October 27]]''' – J.R.R. Tolkien is struck by trench fever, which ends his contribution to the war after just 5 months.<ref name="Garth"/>

J.R.R. Tolkien served in the British Army during World War I (or the "Great War"), most notably in the bloody Battle of the Somme. The earliest works of the Legendarium—collected in The Book of Lost Tales Part One—were began during the conflict. The extent to which the war and Tolkien's experience of it are reflected in his written work is a matter of much interest in Tolkien scholarship.

July 1 - One of the bloodiest battles in recent history, the Battle of the Somme, starts. Robert Gilson is one of the first of the 360,000 British casualties when he is hit by a shell at La Boiselle.[1]

July 14 - Tolkien's C-company is sent into action at the Somme front. This is Tolkien's first 5-day front-line duty.[6]